Malaysia Masters 2026 Badminton: Lakshya Sen Leads India Challenge As Sindhu, Sat-Chi Withdraw

Paris 2024 semi-finalist Lakshya Sen will spearhead a 26-member Indian contingent at the Malaysia Masters 2026 , which begins on Tuesday at the Axiata Arena . The BWF Super 500 tournament featured a strong but largely young Indian squad amid several high-profile withdrawals.

India will be without two of its biggest names as PV Sindhu has pulled out of the event despite initially being on the entry list. In men’s doubles, the world-renowned pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have also opted out after their recent Thailand Open campaign.

In men’s singles, Lakshya Sen, seeded eighth, will lead India’s challenge alongside experienced campaigner HS Prannoy , the 2023 Malaysia Masters champion. They will be joined by Kiran George and Tharun Mannepalli, while S. Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian will begin his campaign from the qualifiers. The Indian camp will be hoping for consistency from its top shuttlers in a competitive draw.

The women’s singles category will see a strong Indian presence led by Unnati Hooda , who is seeded sixth. She will be supported by Malvika Bansod, Anmol Kharb, Devika Sihag, Tanvi Sharma, Isharani Baruah, Rakshitha Ramraj, along with qualifiers Tanya Hemnath and Aakashi Kashyap. The focus will be on gaining exposure and converting early-round opportunities into deeper runs.

India’s men’s doubles challenge will rest solely on MR Arjun/Hariharan Amsakarunan in the absence of Sat-Chi. In women’s doubles, Rutaparna Panda/Swetaparna Panda and Ashwini Bhat K/Shikha Gautam will carry the Indian hopes, while mixed doubles will feature Ashith Surya/Amrutha Pramuthesh, Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, and Sathwik Reddy Kanapuram/Radhika Sharma (qualifiers).

Fans in India can watch live streaming of the Malaysia Masters 2026 on the BWF TV YouTube channel . However, official television broadcast details for the tournament have not been announced yet.

With a blend of youth and experience, India will look to make an impact in Kuala Lumpur despite missing several of its established stars.